[lit-ideas] Re: Revisiting Judy's World
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 22:18:24 -0500
RP:
I think it was Grice who said, 'Isn't language clever?' The Town
Grammarian agrees; it's so clever it has outwitted us all.
I'm just sitting here waiting for JL's shoe to drop.
Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Paul" <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 4:44 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Revisiting Judy's World
S/he is I agree perhaps preferable.
Mike writes
No, it's a glyphic abomination. How is one supposed to pronounce it?
And following that combo-logic, what of the possessive: 'he/i/r/s'? No,
no, no. That will never do. Never, ever.
Absolutely. It's unspeakable.
The obvious answer is to fall back on the indefinite neuter -- "one",
"one's". Exempli gratia: "Each student must bring one's own pronouns and
possessive adjectives to class." or "Ask the average American what one
wants and one will you: One wants what one's got coming to one." Nicely
neutered and still grammatical.
The Town Grammarian disagrees with the first example. If you [one] wants
to avoid 'their,' only 'his or her' will do. (The example is analogous to
saying 'Each student...must bring your...to class.') Change 'each student'
to 'all students' and their you have it.
I think it was Grice who said, 'Isn't language clever?' The Town
Grammarian agrees; it's so clever it has outwitted us all.
Robert Paul
The Reed Institute
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